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Most of the Croydon Health Services NHS Trust beds were reserved for patients with general and acute illnesses, such as pneumonia or renal colics. The rate of occupancy for this sector was 95%.

Amber Jabbal, head of policy at NHS Providers, which represents all trusts, said: "These figures show that the health and care system is already under strain going into winter.

"In our recent report Steeling Ourselves For Winter 2018-19, NHS trusts warned that they are heading into winter in a more challenging position than last year.

"Bed occupancy levels have remained high and this year’s heatwave played a part in this, with increased emergency demand. This spike in demand has left services ‘running hot’ even before the winter months have started."

Nationally, the proportion of occupied beds was 87%, compared with 85% five years earlier.

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A British Medical Association spokesman said: "Since the summer of 2010, the NHS in England has lost 10% of its bed stock and as of today, it has the lowest number of beds since data started to be collected.

"Bed occupancy in 2018 has consistently exceeded the figures recorded the previous year, and while the recommended occupancy figure of 85% should be much more achievable during the summer months, this year it was almost 90% for general and acute beds."

Professor Neil Mortensen, vice president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said overcrowded hospitals can lead to increased infection rates for patients, and make it more difficult to contain flu outbreaks or vomiting bugs.

He added: "High bed occupancy rates can also lead to an increase in planned operations needing to be cancelled at the last minute, as there is not enough space in hospitals for new patients."